As every year, PowderGuide is once again reporting on the new products from our partners at ISPO 2014. Some of the products have already been presented in the other articles, but in three parts we will once again go into detail about the new products from our partners. The first part is about new products from Mammut, Arc'teryx, G3, Evoc, Bergans and Diamir. Whether it's detailed ski mountaineering pants, light and heavy down clothing, various PinTech bindings or backpacks and ski clothing for ski touring, all the new products are well thought out and developed to a high standard. Enjoy reading and looking forward to your next winter shopping trip...
Alyeska Kombo with Rappel Kit | Mammut
Hardly any other manufacturer at ISPO can boast such a complete range for (summer and) winter mountain sports as the Swiss company Mammut. Having shone in the last two years with the addition of avalanche airbag systems (RAS and PAS) and a wide range of avalanche backpacks, this year it's all about the details. The Alyeska combo in combination with the Rappel kit could be particularly interesting for hard-core La Grave or Chamonix-loving ski mountaineers. For the first time, Mammut is combining the Realization technology, in which a climbing harness is integrated directly into the pants, with fully-fledged freeride pants. As dungarees, the latter are right on trend and offer all the expected functions of modern ski mountaineering pants with pre-shaped knee sections, stretch inserts, side ventilation, edge protection and two gear loops. If you combine the pants with the corresponding Alyeska jacket, the avalanche transceiver stowed in the dungarees can even be operated via the jacket's breast pocket. The combo is made from Gore-Tex® Pro Shell material. To go with the combo, the Rappel kit helps with all abseils, which consists of an ultra-light 6 mm rope (only 1.86 kg over a length of 60 m), a small oval carabiner and the Nano 8 abseiling device. The latter was specially developed to be able to control the braking force when abseiling with extremely thin ropes. Here you will find more information from Mammut from fall 2014...
Ceres and Cerium SL Jacket | Arc'teryx
At last year's Ispo, the Canadians presented down jackets in their range for the first time. For next winter, the range of insulation layers lined with down will be significantly increased once again. The Cerium SL jacket is the lightest addition to the range of technical down jackets. The Cerium SL jacket combines high-quality gray goose down (850 cuin) with moisture-resistant hollow fiber insulation. Very small down chambers ensure a perfect fit and optimum warmth. Arc'teryx replaces the down with CoreloftTM synthetic insulation under the arms, on the shoulders, cuffs and in the face area. This "Down Composite Mapping" solves the problem of clumping down in the event of moisture in neuralgic "sweat spots". At 185 g (men's medium) and 160 g (women's medium), the jacket clearly sets the weight record for down jackets. The Ceres jacket is less about weight and more about function - at 835 g (men's medium), it is the heaviest member of the down jacket family. The Canadians also combine down with CoreloftTM hollow fibers (chest pocket, hood, front zipper) in this jacket due to the risk of clumping when moisture gets in. A special chamber construction, known from the manufacture of down sleeping bags, achieves a particularly high level of warmth. In addition, the Windstopper® laminate effectively repels bad weather. Arc'teryx has received the Gold Award for Outdoor Outer Layer Down for the development of the Ceres jacket. More information from Arc'teryx will be available from fall 2014 here...
Ion Binding | G3
Four years ago, the Canadians from G3 first added a PinTech binding to their sales range alongside their Telemark bindings with the Onyx. From fall 2014, another G3 binding, the Ion, will be launched on the market - according to the manufacturer, both bindings will be available in the future. The Ion impresses at first glance with a very clear design and at second glance with a host of functional details. Like the Onyx, it has a maximum Z-value of 12 but weighs slightly less at 585 g (640 g). The automatic heel adjuster, which is very similar to that of the Onyx, will have an adjustment range of 22 mm. The boot stopper at the front ensures the highest level of safety when stepping into the boot, even in difficult terrain. At the same time, the design of the front (snow clearing channels) and stopper is adapted so that snow is removed to the side with every step or repeated entry and exit. This prevents ice build-up and potential false releases. The bidirectional heel section can be switched from walking to skiing mode with the pole, as can the three-stage climbing aid. Even with a flexed ski, the heel section ensures constant contact pressure. The crampons can be fitted without removing the binding. We are looking forward to a test. Further information will be available from fall 2014 here...
Patrol 32+ | Evoc
Since this winter, Evoc has been offering the Patrol 40+ (link to PG review), which focuses on ski touring. Its little brother was presented at ISPO 2014 and will be available from next winter. Reduced weight, sensible features and a clean look were the guiding principles in the development of the "little" PATROL. As you would expect from Evoc, it comes with all the necessary functional features that such a backpack should have: Attachments for skis, snowboard, ice axe, poles and climbing gear. Like the other Performance Backpacks, it is equipped with a comfortable carrying system that ensures ideal air circulation throughout the back area - the wide hip belt can be removed if necessary, just like its big brother. The practical side access is also available, which ensures quick access to the stowed contents without having to remove the entire contents of the toploader. Like the Patrol 40+, it has a snow skirt to increase the load volume (32 L) by another five liters and to protect it from snow when the lid is open. Standard features include a padded goggle compartment, space for a hydration system, a waterproof compartment for small items and a large, easily accessible compartment for avalanche emergency equipment. More information will be available from Evoc from fall 2014 here...
Slingsby Collection | Bergans
Last year, the Norwegians focused on casual freeriding (you will soon be able to read the test of this year's freeride collection on PG.com). This time it's all about high-quality products for ski touring. The Bergans Slingsby collection comprises 12 items of clothing and three backpacks with a focus on weight, robustness, climate comfort and breathability. The Norwegian outfitter drew its inspiration - and hence the name - from the impressive tours of the British mountaineer William Cecil Slingsby (1849-1928), who is regarded as the founder of alpinism in Norway. Slingsby achieved no fewer than 160 first ascents in Norway and each item in the series is named after one of these mountains. The Storen jacket is the outstanding flagship of the collection and, as a technically demanding and uncompromising 3-layer hard shell, an all-purpose piece. Equipped with the highly breathable DermizaxTM NX membrane, the jacket is highly functional, but otherwise slimmed down so that no compromises or unnecessary features get in the way and an astonishing weight of just 460 grams is achieved. The Istinden backpacks are available in three different sizes (18, 26 and 34 L) and the smallest weighs less than one kilogram (930 g) with full functional features. More information from Bergans will be available from fall 2014 here...
Vipec 12 | Diamir
Prototypes were shown for the first time at the last ISPO (2013) - this time the final product of the Diamir Vipec 12 could be inspected, which has also been available in stores for end consumers since the beginning of January 2014. The Vipec, which was also presented on PG.com a few weeks ago, is the first tech binding with defined safety release - both on the ascent and descent. Another technical innovation is that the length of the binding gap (heel unit sits on a rail) adjusts when the ski is bent. The release of the binding is therefore independent of such extreme loads. This is an advantage over other bindings that should not be neglected: The two pins, which are necessary on the heel apparatus for the proper click-in of the ski boots, can be adapted to all boot models. As no standards have yet to be met for the width of the pin mount on the ski boot, there are currently slightly variable widths on the market. However, this is where precision is required in order to avoid false releases or non-releases. We are looking forward to the results of the practical PG test of the Diamir Vipec, which will start shortly. Here you can find more information about the Diamir Vipec 12...
